Golf shoe accessory



July 5, 1966 LAMONT ET AL 3,258,859

GOLF SHOE ACCESSORY Filed Oct. 13, 1964 I N VEN TORS JAMES F. LAMONT TERRENCE P. GORMLEY BYW,%MMJ7%M ATTOR N EYS United States Patent 3,258,859 GOLF SHOE ACCESSORY James F. Lamont, P.O. Box 398, Simsbnry, Conn., and Terrence P. Gormley, West Hartford, Conn.; said Gormley assignor to said Lamont Filed Oct. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 403,609 4 Claims. (CI. 36-25) This invention relates generally to golf shoe accessories and is more particularly directed to such an accessory for use as a self-teaching training aid to improve the rhythm of a golfers swing for improved shot-making and reduced scores.

A principal object of the present invention is the provision of a golf shoe accessory particularly adapted for use in conditioning a golfer to shift his body weight from one foot to the other during the golf swing for developing maximal velocity of the club head at the time of its striking the golf ball to effect a golf shot of maximum distance Another object of the present invention is the provision of a golf shoe accessory having notable utility in conditioning a golfer so that proper shift in body weight may become an automatic reflex action for increased distance and accuracy While at the same time allowing the golfer to concentrate on other elements of the golf swing to achieve improved shots and lower scores.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of an inexpensive golf shoe accessory which is particularly suited for secure positioning in shoes of various sizes and which is usable by all golfers of widely varied experience and skill, regardless of age and sex, for either practice or actual play to improve their golf game.

A more specific object of the present invention is the provision of a removable golf shoe accessory of outstanding wearing quality which is economical to fabricate and assemble for expeditious placement in the golf shoe.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top view of an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1 with a fragmentary view of a golf shoe shown in phantom.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the preferred embodiment of the pad of the invention is illustrated as comprising two superposed layers of material including a lower layer shown as being a generally rectilinear, resilient member such as a cushion or the like suitably dimensioned to be received in the heel of a golf shoe 12 shown in phantom, and an upper layer, generally designated by the numeral 20, illustrated as being a mesh bonded to the top surface of cushion 10 to project or bulge upwardly therefrom for contacting the heel of a golfers footwear.

Although the resilient cushion 10 may be made of a number of substances such as cloth, cord, leather and rubber, it is desirable to provide a soft, pliable structure which is resistant to odor and moisture absorption in addition to possessing relatively high tensile and tear strength for extended periods of usefulness while being confined within the golf shoe under the compressive force of the golfers weight. The flexible foamed plastics, such as vinyl and cellulose acetate are suitable materials. The flexible polyurethane plastics, such as those sold by Nopco Chemical Company under the trade name of Nopcofoam, have been found to work extremely well for the above purposes, and their spongy cellular'structure is readily treated to provide a sanitary cushion re sistant to bacterial growth in addition to possessing excellent nonslip characteristics to maintain its position in the heel of the golf shoe.

Attached to the cushion 10 is the mesh 20, or other network of protuberances such as braids, grooves, ridges and furrows, and weaves, forming a rough upper surface designed to act as a sensing device well adapted to make the golfer cognizant of its presence without discomfort.

As shown, mesh 20 generally comprises a plurality of uniformly spaced strands, designated 22, which are crossed with each other at regular intervals and secured to one another at the crossings forming an uneven and irregular surface. In the specific embodiment illustrated, a first series of parallel strands 22a are equidistantly spaced apart and overlying in perpendicular relationship a second series of parallel strands 22b to form generally square interstices having sides approximately inch in length. The strands are in the order of 0.08 inch in diameter. That is, strands having a diameter of approximately 0.08 inch have been found to afford excellent sensory contact with the golfers heel without causing him discomfort. The strands preferably have a finely knobby or nodulose longitudinal structure providing additional roughness without chafing or piercing the golfers heel or becoming otherwise distractful.

A grid having the described dimensions is usable with conventional athletic footwear, such as a regular wool sock, and is preferably formed of a suitable plasticlike material such as polyethylene or nylon. More specifically, the plastic netting marketed under the trade name Vexar by E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc., has been found to be an acceptable commercial material possessing the requisite strength and flexibility in addition to being readily secured in any suitable manner to the cushion 10 such as by a liquid paste or glue.

So that the pad or heel insert can be expeditiously trimmed to fit shoes of various sizes, the outer edges of the mesh 20 are spaced inwardly at a substantially uniform distance from the periphery of cushion 10. In addition to being trimmed without requiring cutting of the mesh, this construction has the further advantage of being maintained primarily in the generally planar portion of the heel so that the outer edges of the strands 22 will have less tendency to work loose from cushion 10 and become curled up to cause discomfort to the golfer.

It is believed that the utility of the invention will be apparent from the previous description taken in light of the following brief explanation of its use. A pad of the above described construction may be positioned within the heel of each golf shoe after being trimmed, if necessary, without requiring any further adhesive since cushion 10 itself provides excellent slip resistance for retaining proper placement. After having put on his shoes, the golfer will be aware of increased feeling on his heels designed to provide a physical reminder to properly shift his weight during the course of the golf swing.

In this regard, the golfers weight normally is distributed equally on each foot during the address of the golf 'ball prior to initiating the back swing of the golf club. For illustrative purposes, the golfer Will be assumed to be right-handed. Upon bringing the club head back, the left ankle of the golfer should reach a maximum degree of roll at the top of the back swing with the weight of the golfer being substantially supported by his right leg and foot prior to commencing the down swing. This weight distribution is communicated to the golfer by an awareness of increased pressure on the right heel due to the impressed engagement therewith by the pad.

In generating hitting power for maximum distance, substantially all of the golfers weight is thereafter shifted to the left leg and foot during the course of the down swing prior to contacting the golf ball with the club head so that its maximal velocity will be developed at impact to drive the golf ball the greatest distance. The occurrence of such Weight shift will be sensed by the golfer due to the increased feeling on his left heel from the impression of the pad prior to hitting the golf ball.

Since one of the often overlooked factors responsible for poorly executed golf shots is improper shifting of the golfers Weight, the invention aids the golfer to alternately shift his Weight automatically and provides a constant physical reminder of its importance, and at the same time additionally acts to relieve a properly conditioned golfer from consciously concentrating on shifting his weight so that he is free to think about other critical factors of his golf swing in an effort to hit the ball more perfectly for increased distance and accuracy.-

It has been found that a player remains more aware of the presence of the pad if it is not worn continuously during the course of his play over an extended period of time so as to become unnoticeable. Employment of the invention in practice sessions in which these principles have been borne in mind is conducive to proper conditioning and a more eflicient golf swing. In this connection, pads employed for practice may be provided with surfaces having greater irregularities than those utilized for actual playing, the golf accessory being unseen by other players in either event.

Finally, the device of the invention can be easily removed and replaced at the discretion of the golfer. In addition to being inexpensive to fabricate and assemble in a variety of sizes, the heel insert is readily adapted for use by all golfers of either sex for practice or play to aid them in attaining increased coordination and scoring proficiency.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications and adaptations of the structure above described will become readily apparent Without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. For use in conditioning a golfer to shift the relative distribution of his Weight from one foot to the other in properly timed relationship with the progression of the golf swing, a heel pad removably positioned in a golf shoe and having a plurality of uniformly spaced protuberances defining an exposed irregular surface engageable in nonpiercing sensory contact with the weight bearing portion of the golfers heel to aid the golfer in automatically shifting his weight for optimum swing efiiciency.

2. The heel pad of claim 1 including a pliable cushion and a reticular grid, the grid having uniformly spaced strands secured to the cushion, the strands crossing each other at preselected intervals and secured to one another at the crossings thereby to provide the protuberances defining the exposed irregular surface of the pad.

3. The heel pad of claim 2 wherein said strands are of approximately 0.08 inch in diameter.

4. In combination, a shoe adapted to be worn by a golfer, and a heel pad received within the shoe, the pad comprising a network of protuberances defining an exposed irregular surface engageable in nonpiercing sensory contact with the weight bearing portion of the golfers heel to create a signal causing the golfer to automatically shift his weight and to develop a consistently grooved golf swing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,009,110 11/1911 Strootman 36-80 X 1,849,026 3/1932 Oakley 3659 2,073,775 3/1937 Baumel 3680 2,078,626 4/1937 Bauer 36-107 2,086,242 7/ 1937 Sheridan 36-80 2,500,591 3/1950 Watkins et a1. 3680 3,059,350 10/1962 Price 36--11.5 3,117,385 1/1964 Evans 362.5

FRANK I. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Examiner. 

1. FOR USE IN CONDITIONING A GOLFER TO SHIFT THE RELATIVE DISTRIBUTION OF HIS WEIGHT FROM ONE FOOT TO THE OTHER ION PROPERLY TIMED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PROGRESSION OF THE GOLF SWING, A HEEL PAD REMOVABLY POSITIONED IN A GOLF SHOE AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF UNIFORMLY SPACED PROTUBERANCES DEFINING AN EXPOSED IRREGULAR SURFACE ENGAGEABLE IN NONPIERCING SENSORY CONTACT WITH THE WEIGHT BEARING PORTION OF THE GOLFER''S HEEL TO AID THE GOLFER IN AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTING HIS WEIGHT FOR OPTIMUM SWING EFFICIENCY. 